‘Lumpen’ hotel will not spoil views of Four Courts, say Dublin planners

River House in Chancery Street, Dublin, will make way for a 249-bedroom hotel after objections were overruled

One of Dublin’s ugliest buildings is to be demolished and replaced with an eight-storey hotel despite objections that it will spoil the view of one of the city’s landmarks.

An Bord Pleanála has sanctioned the demolition of River House, the former motor tax office, which is near the historic Four Courts on Chancery Street and granted planning permission for a 249-bedroom hotel in its place.

An Taisce, the National Trust for Ireland, and a local resident have both appealed against Dublin city council’s decision to approve the development. River House, which has been vacant for more than a decade, was bought for €8 million in 2017 by Melonmount, a firm linked to Jalaluddin Kajani, a businessman who moved from Pakistan to Ireland in 1980 and…

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